Photo: Recount Podcast network
With people spending more time at home than ever before, it’s no surprise that the world of podcasting hasbecome an unavoidable aspectof today’s popular culture.
Whether it’s your favorite celebrity’s dirty laundry or an investigative reporter’s deep dive into a tale only they can tell, podcasts truly provide something for everyone.
But despite roughly half of listeners identifying as female, only one in three podcast hosts are women themselves – but not if theRecount Podcast networkhas anything to say about it.
“Over 155 million people listen to podcasts every week. With COVID, that number is increasing every day,” Nomi Ernst Leidner, executive vice president of programming and development, tells PEOPLE. “Our podcasts are smart, diverse, and aren’t afraid to take on complicated issues. We launched five in less than a year and will be launching more.”
Leidner and her team have put women both in front of and behind the microphone for their five existing podcasts –The Recount Daily Pod,News Items Podcast,Hell & High Water,Battleground, andJust Something About Her– all of which are focused on discussing the power players in media, politics, business, and more.
Reena Ninan, host ofThe Recount Daily Podand formerCBS Newstelevision journalist, tells PEOPLE exactly what sets these podcasts apart in such a crowded landscape.
Want to get the biggest stories fromPEOPLEevery weekday?Subscribe to our new podcast, PEOPLE Every Day, to get the essential celebrity, entertainment and human interest news stories Monday through Friday.
“You give us 20 minutes in the morning, while you’re walking the dog or making coffee, and I’ll make sure you’re caught up on the news that matters,” Ninan continues.
“All can attest to the power of having women in the media industry, the importance of having equal perspectives in journalism, and general takeaways being a journalist during a transformational political and social media landscape,” adds the Recount Podcast network.
Additional hosts include Amanda Litman, co-founder and executive director of Run for Something, Jennifer Palmieri, former White House communications director, Faiz Shakir, former campaign manager forBernie Sanders, and editors John Heilemann, John Ellis, and Rebecca Darst, to name a few.
So how has the COVID-19 pandemic affected Leidner and Ninan as both media professionals and mothers to young children?
“Nomi and I talk often about how, for much of our careers, we had to pretend like we didn’t have children. That’s no longer the case,” Ninan explains. “The world has changed with this pandemic and the upside is we are more open about bringing our full selves to the workplace.”
“Reena and I are forever bonded because we launched a daily news podcast with a new team, working entirely remotely during the pandemic. Throw in the fact that we are both mothers of young children and you can imagine the rest,” Leidner adds.
Listen to theRecount Podcast networkwherever you currently enjoy your podcasts.
source: people.com
